Fruit cutting machine



Jal- 16 1940, J. s. NlcoLl. Er AL 2,187,326

FRUIT CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 'u 1|' I n lts 146 @3M 0MM Jan. 16, 1940. J. s`. NICOLL Er Al.

FRUITl CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 Jan. 16, 1940. J. s. NlcoLL z-:r AL

FRUIT CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 28, '1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 ambo/4 da G//es Farc Jan. l16, 1940. J. s. NlcoLL Er AL 2,187,326

' FRUIT CUTTING uAcHINE Filed July 28,. 193:7 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 n ---I |-WWHIHHHHHHM .......H....m,.|.|.||...mmw.nNWN -H...,........|--,

Jan. 16, `1940. J. s. NICOLL ET Al.

FRUI1` CUTTING MACHINE Fi led July 28, 1937 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 mi mi Jan. 16, 1940.

J. S. NICOLL El' AL FRUIT CUTTING MACHINE Filed July v28, 1937 '7 Sheets-Sheet 6 ,w w. Mmmm@ 36.0%@ m 3M mw/ Jam/im JM '16, 1940, J. s. NlcoLL Er A1. 2,187,326

FRUIT CUTTING MACHINE Filed July 28, 1937 7 sheets-sheet 'r if l f e i i 5g .5 i f1 r Z di 565916. @9.18. C @afa l i :g x i e 5 i e 2%) l e @j d l, 65 ji d d e e f 4 jmcmow @Md Md i i a,As/m#ym Patented Jan. 16,

UNI-TED; STATES PMF-NflrN OFFICE e 2,187,326* e 3Q FRUIT CUTTING MACHINE Jameslspicu `una Alfred 0.*Gi'1es," Kahului,

e 1 Takeshi Maruoka, Wailuku, Bernard J. Butler,

Paia, and CharlesM. CountrymamQKahului, `Territoryof` Hawaii, assgnors to Maui Pineapple Company, Ltd., Paia, Territory of Hawaii, acorporationgof the 4'.lerritory of Hawaii `Application July` as, 1937, serial No. 156.210 f 11 claims. `(c1. 14s-7s) l e e Our invention relates `tofmachines `for cutting e l e `fruit, particularly `pineapple,and its principal object is to cut `pineapple into `relatively `small pieces, commonly called tidbits, of predetermined 5 size withoutcrushing, squeezing :orbru'ising the l.

`fruit `and tolplace the tidbits intocans.` `Another object vof the inventionjis to provide 1 `a machine` for cutting the pineapple into tidbits wherein the fruit is advanced in continuous mocessive cuttingoperations. 1

e A primary `feature of the invention consists in `providing the `fruit cutting machine"`with means for dividing thefruit` into two parts and'with tionwhile being subjectedto apluralit'y ofl sncf `mechanism forsuccessivelycuttingweach part of `the fruitina plurality of intersecting planes. LfAnother .'featurefoi the invention consists in providing themachine withsuccessively acting cutting means'. forV dividing `the fruitV intovtwo-` qparts; for cutting each` part into a plurality of finger-'like `segments and for slicing the linger- `like segments transversely into" a` plurality ofv Ipieces.'` .e e Y l i A further feature of the invention consists in Y r#iprovicli1f1g the machine `with means for dividing theQffruit intotwo parts and"with conveyor devices topwhich said parts `are respectively de- "liver'edseasto be `advancedto a plurality of `additic)nal `cutting means, one of the additional `3 0,"cuttir1`g: means being adaptedto cut the fruit "in the directionof its travel and another onek oi the additional cutting-means being adapted tofcut .the fruit in a `direction across its line of travel.

"1.3.3.5 Another feature of `the invention consists in providing means Whtby the fruit isiadapted to he` successively.. cut, in intersecting planes as i it is being advanced bya conveyer device.

, "A still iurtherfeature of the invention con` e0 sists in removing iibrouszcore materialfrom the fruit as it islbeing' advanced by the conveyer device.

i vention, residingjin advantageous forms,` combinations andlrelations ofzparts Will hereinafter ap- "1150 chine.

Figure V3 is an enlarged sectional view taken e Figurel` is anenlarged detail sectionalview taken on line -ljeleofFigure 1.r

.5519@ Figure sis au emerged p1au view of inermi v divided.

Otherandmore `speclflc lfeatures of the in-` dividing throat,` and separating means, together with adjacent parts ofthe machine.

ilustratingthe means for removing corings from Athe tube and` also portions of an adjacent ccnveyer device.`

Figure 8 is. an I.enlarged detail sectional view `10 taken online ile-'8 ofFigU-le 3.

. Figures is lan enlarged detail sectional View taken on line 99 of Figure 3. Y

1 Figure 11) is Van enlarged` detail sectional view taken online Ifll) of Figure 1.

Figure 11 is a perspective view of the fruitr `separating and guiding means. e VligurelZ is an enlarged detail section view Figure 2.l f

Figurefl is a plan view of the fruit seg'menting knives and adjoining portions of the adjacent conveyor'.` e y Figure `14 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the forward end of the coring tube. i

Figures 15` and `16 are side and end elevational views of a prepared pineapple cylinder for which the machine `has. been particularly devsignedto` out.` n i Figures 17 and 18 are respectively side and end 30 elevational views o'f the prepared pineapple cylinder illustrating `the mannerin which it is iirst takenV on" a line corresponding to line Iii-I2` of Figures 19 and `2Oareviews of the dividedpineapplecylinder illustratingthe brous core ma- `terial to be removed.` i

Figuresm `and 22 are views of the divided 1 pineapple cylinder after they have been cored and .i segmented.`

Figures 23 and `24 *are views of the divided o pineapple cylinder `after it has been cored, segniented and sliced. l

`Although the machine illustrated in the drawingsv has been primarily designed with a view to cutting cylinders of pineapple of fixed outside diameter andwith a cylindrical core hole `at the' center, it` will beevidentthat, Vby minor alterations and Without departing from the spirit of the invention,` the'emachinehmay be modified to cut pineapple `of other than cylindrical shape as well as to'cut other fruits ofvarious shapes. The prepared pineapple cylinders, which may bemost efficiently cut by` the form of the invention. il-

Alustratedin the drawings, are preferably manu- L ally trimmedv and inspected to `insure complete` which may not be removed in preparing operations. Moreover, the cylinder is preferably cored so that the core hole will be rimmed with fibrous material which is adapted to `be removed by the cutting machine, but itvwill, of course, be understood that the cylinder neednot necessarily be cored at all before being introduced into the ma-M.

chine.

As appears from the drawings and, will be more evident from the following description, the irst operation performed by themachine is 'the lonals gitudinal splitting or dividing'of vthe pineapple cylinders. This operation is advantageously performed by carrying the pineapple cylinders through a vertically disposed fixed: knife by means of a conveyer with specially slotted attachments.

The second operation of they machine,.which is performed in duplicate, involves the removal ofthe fibrous core material from vthe center core hole of eachof'jthesections of the divided pineapple"`cylinder.` This operation is preferably performed by carrying the pineapple half cylinders in continuous motion 'through' rotatingrcoring tubes by means of conveyors with specially shaped attachments. y l

Thethirdop'eration in the'machine, also performedin duplicate, involves the segmenting or longitudinal cutting' of each ofthe cored pineapple half cylinders. lThis operation is performed by' 'carrying thev cored pineapple half cylinders in continuous motion pastV ar set of knives which arepreferably radially arranged by means of conveyers with specially'slotted attachments. v

The fourth operation of the machine, likewise performed in duplicate, involves the. slicing or transverse cutting of the cored and segmented `pineapple half cylinders, this operation being performed by carrying the cored and segmented 'half cylinders in continuous motion` past a ro- The fifth operation of the machine,l also performed in duplicate,r involves the'removal of smalland undesirable chips or pieces of fruit from the prepared tidbits by passing theV tidbits 'over inclined bar screens.;4-

The sixth and last operation of thel machine, performedin duplicate, involves the placing of the screened tidbits into emptycans.` This opleration is also performed in a continuous manner by means of rotating can carrier tables having funnel-shaped pockets for receiving the vtid- 'bits and directing themj into cans.

Referring more in detail tothe Vdrawings',l

,indicates a trough or guide to which the prepared pineapple cylinders are' delivered for advancement by a conveyor Z` to a .vertically disposed knife 3 for longitudinally dividing the cylinders vantageously be of the endless chain type, the .chain passing around and being 'driven by a sprocket wheel E mounted upon a shaft 'I which is `ournaled in bearings 8 rigidlyfsecuredto frame members 9 at oppositel sides'of'thev machine.

The conveyer is provided with a plurality of arms or the like IQ which project upwardlyinto vthe trough for advancing the pineapplev therealong. These arms' are suitably spaced along they conveyor to {permit pineapple cylinders 'of maximum length, approximately 10% inches, to be placed between succesive ones and each of the arms is preferably slotted as indicated at II to receive and pass on opposite sides of the dividing knife 3.'

Before being acted uponl by the #knife 3, the fruit cylinders pass into a tubular member or throat I2 which acts as a guide to center the cylinders as they are being advanced during the cutting'. operation. The forward end of the knife 3 projects into the discharge end of the tubular throat and is rigidly secured thereto in any suitablemanner, such as by angle brackets I3. The bottom of the throat is slotted as indicated at I4 to receive the conveyer arms Ill and the inside diameterof the throat preferably increases sufficiently from adjacent the leading or cutting edge 'of the dividing knife toallow the divided cylinders to readly pass through the remainder of the throat without being compressed as a result ofthe addition ofthe dividing knife tothe cross sectional area of the pineapple cylinder.

From the throat I2, the-divided pineapple cylinders discharge onto anapron or support I5 which has fora portion of its length a slot I 6 bounded along 1ts sides by downwardly convergingportions Il' which serve to support the pineupwardly. y

For a purposewhich will hereinafter appear, the U-shape troughs I9l are preferably inclined for a portion of their length and horizontal for ithe remainder; and it is because of vthe inclina- 5 tion of the portions of the troughs to which the half cylinders are initially delivered that the ,trough I is also preferably inclined. As troughs I9 are duplicatesand as duplicate mechanisms sections of pineapple along the troughs and also for coring and for further dividing the pineapple,

ycorresponding p'ortionsl'of the troughs and their associated parts are identified in the drawings by similar reference numerals.

The troughs I9 may be each conveniently made in bronze or stainless steel having a semi-circular section of approximately the same diameter as the pineapple sections, and eachis provided witha longitudinally extending centrally disposed slot 2| which communicates with a compartment or the like 22 'forming a housing and trackway for an endless conveyer 23` for advancing the fruit along the trough. The conveyers lmay advantageously be of the endless chain type.v

and each passes'ar-ound an idler sprocket 24 and a driving sprocket 25, the sprocket 24 being loosely mounted on shaft 'I and sprocket 25 being keyed to a shaft 26 which is' journaled at its op- -posite ends in bearings 2l rigidly secured to upright frame members 28 of the machine.

The conveyers 23 are each provided with a plurality of plate-like arms or 'attachments 29 which extend upwardly into the troughs I9. Each of the arms is preferably in the form of an are provided for advancing the vsemi-cylindrical l.

segment of an annulus,the exterior diameter of i y, d t v d d `ramasse which is slightly less than the diameter er curvature of the trough `andthe interiordiameter of which is sufficient to accommodate the coring tubes 30 to be hereinafter described. Like the Varms `Ill of conveyer`2, arms 29` of conveyers 23 1 are spaced sufficiently far apart to receive between themhalf sections .of pineapple of maxi` mum length and each of the arms is provided with a plurality of radial slots 3l to receivethe radially disposedsegmentinglknives 32,` to be later described; To rigidifythe `arms adjacent the ends o1" some of; the slots 3|;` they may be conveniently formed g with laterally projecting stffening lugs 33 whichare adaptedto extend into longitudinally .extendinggrooves 34 formed in the interior ofthe troughs.

` Each` link of the conveyers 23" to `which the arms 29 are secured are provided with two pairs of rollers mounted `upon pins or the like ex- Vtending through the links. These rollers guide `the links carrying thearms, as they travel in the trackway 22 `whichis preferably machined with precision, and they prevent any lateral movement of the arms which Wouldcauseimisalignment of the slots 3l with the segmentingknives'SZt After being delivered totheconveyers 23, the

l semi-cylindrical sections of pineapple `are first carried past the coringtubes `3l) which remove the fibrous core material remaininginy the pine` apple. The tubes inclined upwardly at the same angle as the inclined portions of troughs I9 and eachlof `them is provided with removable cut` i ting head 36 which is beveled on its interior` surface. To insure a clean removal `of the, core material, the-tubes are preferably `rotated and, for `this purpose, eachof them is journaledin a pair of `bearings 31 secured to" members 38 which ex `tend transversely of the `machineand are connected `at their ends to `inwardly extending flanges of brackets 391 which `depend from inclined frame `members 40 disposed on opposite sides of the machine andrespectively connected to upright frame members 28 andM.

Intermediate their bearings 31, the coring tubes are respectively provided With ring gears 42 which are driven from a single gear 43 through the intermediacy of` idler gears 44` to cause thetubes to rotate in the same direction?. The idler gears are mounted on stub shafts 45` which are journaled at their opposite ends in bearings Nicar-` ried by members 41 secured in overlapping relad tion to the inwardly projecting flanges 48 .of the inclined frame members, 40. The .i driving gear 43 ismounted upona relatively longtinclined` shaft 49 which, in addition to being journaled on opposite sides ofthegear inbearings 50 carried by the transverse members 41, is journaled adjacent its ends in bearings 5| mounted upon transverse members 52 which arelikewise secured to the inturned flanges of frame members 4D.

Extending within thetubes are shafts 53; each of which is provided with a helix 54 forming a ,screw conveyer for withdrawing from the tubes the fibrous core materialremoved from the pineapple sections. The rear ends of shafts 53 which project beyond the corresponding ends of the ooring tubesare respectively journaled in a pair of bearings 55 carried `by transversely extending members 56v which are connected at their .opposite ends `to inturned flanges of angle brackets 51 respectively .secured `to the upright frame mem- `bers 28. `lor rotating shafts 53, each of them is provided between bearings 55 `with a gear 58 which, in order that the conveying screw Williro-` tate in the opposite direction to the `coring tube `and clear of all moving parts.

in which it is disposed, meshes direeuy with e gear 59 carried `by `shaft `49.`

After passing the coring tubes, thev pineapple half cylinders are advanced by ythe conveyers 23 in troughs i9 to thesegmenting knives`32. At

points slightly beyond the cutting ends `of the 1 coring tubes,` the troughs i9 angledownwardly.-`

and continue in substantially horizontal, planes so that the mechanism for supporting and rotating the tubes will not interfere with the advancement of the pineapple by the conveyers and the` l -placing ofthe segmenting knives and other mechanism, to be later described,y on the troughl sections in relatively close proximity to the cutting ends o-f the tubes.` l

While three segmenting knives are illustrated in the drawingsit will, of courses be understood that any number may be used and that, although they are preferably radially disposed, thcygmay,

trough. `'I'he slots3l in the arms ZSof the conf veyers correspond in arrangement with the segmenting knives andare thus capable of advanc-` ing the pineapple `sectionsin continuous motion f `past the knives without fouling them.

After passing the `knives 32 the segmented half cylinders of pineapple are advanced to mechanism whereby the fruit is subjected tc the slicing operation to divide the segments into small pieces or tidbits. The slicing mechanism associated with each trough comprises a rotating knife 62` mountedzon a shaft B3 whose axis preferably lies in` a perpendicularl plane passing through the n' center line of travel of the fruit. The shaft 53 is `so positioned that the knife blade slices the pineapple half cylinders during `approximately one quarter of its revolution and the knife blade is set to cut helicalelements to insure an unrestricted slicing ofthepineapple on a plane determined by the resultant 'motion of `the advancing pineapple and of the rotating knives.

This slicing operation is possible in continuous motion, with accurate timing of the slicing knives` and the conveyers 23, as a result of placing the axes of rotation of the knives in such position above the centers of the pineapple half cylinders as to permit the plate-like arms 25 of the conveyers to passthrough the plane of knife rotation during that part of theknife revolution the blades are out of `engagement with the pineapple i The side walls ofthe troughs are slotted, as indicated at 64, to receive the slicing knives and the shafts on which "they are mounted are respectively journaled atltheir opposite ends in bearings, one of which is carried by aplate-like member 55 mountedv upon the trough and the other of which is carried by an angle member B6 which extends transversely of the machine and is secured to theupright frame members 28, Shafts 63 may be conveniently rotated by` being respectivelyprovidedwith gears El' which mesh with gears 58 on shafts 53. Gears 61 are each slightly beveled to compensate `for the difference in angularity of shafts 53 and 63.

I After passing theslicing `knives 62, the cored,` segmented and sliced pineapple half cylindersdischarge from the troughs |9 into chutes 68 whereby the tidbits are conducted by gravity to a rotatable member 69 havinga plurality of funnelshaped pockets beneath which empty cans are supported on a rotating carrier table 10. The bottoms of the chutes @dare of bar screen formation to enable very small pieces or chips of pineapple to (drop therethrough.

- The rotatable member 69 and the can carrier table 10 associated with each chute 68 are mounted upon a vertical shaft 1| `journaled in bearings carried by suitable frame members 'l2 of the ma- Shafts 'H are rotated in opposite directions through the intermediacy of beveled gears 13 by a horizontally disposed `shaft 14 `which is driven in timed relation with the conveyers for advancing the fruit so that each empty can receives thertidbits cut from' each half cylinder of pineapple. Any suitable can feeding mechanism, such as indicated at 15, may be employed for delivering empty cans in timed relation to the can carrier tables 10. The can'feeding mechanisms may be conveniently actuated through Vsuitable gearing by shafts After receiving'the tidbits, the lled cans are wiped from the can carrier tables as they rotate by any suitable means, such as fixed guides (not shown), onto an endless belt 16 whereon they may, if necessary, be manuallypatched to proper weight before processing. `The endless conveyer passes around and'may be conveniently driven by `a pulley l1 mounted uponl a shaft 'lll which extends transversely of the machine from one side to the other and is journaled in suitable bearings mounted upon frame members 19.

Allof the moving parts of the machine may be actuated from any convenient source of power, such as an electric motor 80, which may be mounted on the machine in any desirable location. The shaft 3| of the motormay be provided with a-sprocket wheel t2 for driving a roller chain or the like 83 which passes around sprocket 84 carried by a shaft 85 which extends transversely of the machine and is journaled in bearings supported by members SS connected to longitudinally extending frame members 81 of the machine. Extending atv right angles to shaft 85 and driven thereby through beveled gears 98 is a shaft 89 mounted in bearings supported by transverse members 90 which are also connected to frame members 9'! of the machine. Intermediate its ends, shaft 89 has a sprocket 9| for driving a roller chain or the like 92 which passes around a sprocket wheel 93 on shaft 49. Motion being thus imparted to shaft 49, it will be perceived that the coring tubes are caused to rotate through gears 42, 43 and 44, that the screws for withdrawing core material from the tubes are operated through gears 58 and 59 and that the slicing knives are operated through gears 58, 59 and 61.

Adjacent the sprocket 9|, shaft 89 is also provided with a Worm 94 which, through a Worm gear 95, imparts rotation toa shaft 90 which is journaled in bearings mounted onY the inclined frame members 8l of the machine.

Adjacent one end, shaft 99 is provided with a pair of sprocket wheels 9i' and 9S, respectively. Sprocket 9'! drives a chain 99 which passes around a sprocket mounted upon shaft which carries sprocket 6 for actuating conveyer 2. The sprocket98 drives a chain |0| which passes around a sprocket |02 mounted on shaft 26 which carries sprocket 25 for actuating conve'yer 23.

At its other end, shaft 96 is provided with a sprocket |03 for driving a chain |04 which passes around a sprocket |05 mounted on one end of shaft 'F8 on which pulley is mounted for driving the endless conveyer belt 16. In addition to driving conveyer l5, shaft i9 may also be employed for actuating the shaft 'i4 which drives the can carrier table and through gears |06 also drives the can feeding, device 15. Accordingly, rotation may be imparted to shaft 'I4 from shaft 'i8 by a chain |01 which passes around a sprocket |99 on shaft 'i8 and sprocket |09 on shaft 14.

This system of shafts, gears, sprockets and chains is designed to operate in proper timed relation so as to coordinate the functions of all of the moving parts of the machine to the end that the fruit is advanced in continuous motion from the time it is fed to the machine until the lled cans containing small pieces or tidbits of the fruit are discharged from the machine.

The successive cutting operations to which the pineapple is subjected in its passage through the machine are shown in Figures 17 to 23, inclusive, and one of the cored pineapple cylinders the machine is' especially designed to receive is illustrated in Figures 15 and 16. The cylinder is shown in Figures 17 and 18 as having been dividedv into semi-cylindrical sections a and b by the knife 3. The brouscore material which is removed from the sections by the coring tubes 30 is designated by the reference letter c in Figures 19 and 20 which illustrate the relative positions of the sections after they have been separated by the diverging plate members 20 and deposited in the troughs |9.- The finger-like segments into which the half cylinders are divided by the radially arranged segmenting knives 32'are indicated at d in Figures 21 and 22 and the tidbits into which the segments are sliced by the rotating knives S2 are vshown at e in Figures 23 and 24.

It will be evident that, by our invention, the fruit may be subdivided into very small pieces without subjecting it to either lateral, longitudinal or internal pressure of such magnitude as would result in rupturing the fruit cells and the consequent releaseof juice. Many modifications of the specic embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings, such, for example, as altering the sequence of the various cutting operations, may, of course, be made without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. A machine for cutting fruit comprising a conveyer device for advancing the fruit to be cut, said device including a trough having a recess in the lower portion thereof and an endless chain disposed Within the recess having pusher arms projecting upwardly into the trough for propelling the fruit therein, a knife projecting into the trough for dividing the fruit into two parts, substantially parallel conveyer devices disposed on opposite sides of said knife, means rigid with the knife for separating said parts of the fruit and respectively delivering them to said parallel conveyer devices,- means associated with each parallel conveyer device for cutting the part of the fruit advanced thereby into a plurality of finger-like segments, and means also associated with each of the parallel conveyers for slicing said finger-like segments transversely.

2. A machine for cutting fruit including a conveyer for advancing the fruit to be cut comprising a stationary trough having a relatively movable means associated therewith, a. knife xedly arenaria associated withy said trough for dividingzthefruit intotwoparts, laterally spaced conveyer` devices .fili

disposed on opposite sides of said` knifarneans rigid with the" knife including substantially'vertical members; diverging rearwardly therefrom for separating said parts ofthe fruit and for respectively delivering` them `toysad conveyor devices,1means associated with eachqconveyer device for cutting said parts of the `fruit as they are being advanced b-y said devices into a plurality of finger-,like segments, and means also associated with each conveyer device `for slicing said iingerlike segments transversely as they are being y advanced `by said devices.

` 3f Amachine for cutting fruit including means for dividing the fruit into two parts, substantially parallel laterally spaced conveyor devices arranged on opposite sides of said dividing means, meansrigid with the dividing means for `separating said parts of the fruit and `respectively delivering them to said conveyer devices, said last named means including a member spanning "the space between the conveyer devices and vertically disposed `means divergingrearwardly from the dividing means, `and a plurality of means associated with each conveyor device for subdividing the part of the fruit delivered thereto asit is being advanced by said device, one of said subdividing means being `adapted to` cut the `fruit in the direction of its travel and another of said subdividing means beingadapted to cut the fruit in a direction across its line of travel.

4. A machine for cutting fruit including means for cutting the fruit into two substantially equal parts, conveyor devices to which said parts are respectively delivered, each of said conveyer devices including a trough and endless meansfor propelling the fruit in the trough`a plurality of radially disposed knives mounted on and extending downwardly into said trough for cutting the fruit as` it is being propelled by the` endless means into a plurality of linger-like sectors,and rotating means Whose axis of rotation is substan tially parallel to the direction of movementof said endless means associated with each trough for transversely slicing the `linger-like sectors as they are being propelled into a plurality of pieces. i

, 5. In a `machine for cutting fruit, the combinag tion of means for cutting the fruit, a conveyor device including a trough for receiving the fruit `and endlessV means movable Within the trough for advancing to said cutting means sections of the fruit having exposed Afibrouscore material, rotatable tubular means dis-posed above the conveyer in advance of said cutting means for revmoving the `iibrous core material `from the sections of the fruit as they are being continuously" advancediby the conveyor to the cutting means, and meansdisposed within the tubular means for withdrawing core material entering the latter. f

6. In a machine for cutting cylinders of pineapple, the combination of vertical meansfor severing the pineapple `longitudinally into half cylinders, a conveyer device to which half cylinders of` pineapple are respectively deliveredior advancementto cutting means, said conveyor device including a trough and endless means mov- `able within the trough, means for causing the half cylinders to be deliveredto the conveyor de-` vice with the severed surfaces thereof facing upwardly,` and rotatable tubular means disposed above the conveyer device for removing fibrous core material from the half cylinders as they` are being continuously advanced by the conveyor.

,'1.` In a machine 1 for Cutting fruit, the combina;

.tiorrof` a trough `of substantially semi-cylindrical `shape in cross section for receiving a section of `pineapple of similar cross `sectional shape, the

interior of saidwtrough being providedwith a i plurality of longitudinally extending grooves, means having a plurality oipusher arms for ad- `vanoing the pineapple in thetrough, a plurality of radially ldisposed knives projecting into the trough in the path of travel of the pineapple for cutting the latter into a plurality of segments,

said pusher arms being slotted to receive said Knives and being formed with outwardly projecting stiiiening lugs extending into `said grooves of the trough.

8. In a machine for cutting fruit, the combinal tion of a stationary trough semi-cylindrical in vertical cross section and having a recess opening into the lower., portion thereof, movable chain means guidingly received in said recess below said trough and having a plurality of intermitplurality of pusher arms projecting upwardly `into the trough for propelling fruit `along the latter, a tubular member mounted on the trough through which the fruit is adapted to lbecontinuously propelled,V said tubular member having a` longitudinally extending slot communicating with said recess, and stationary cutting means having `a portion thereof positioned in? and bisecting said tubular member soasto be disposed in the path of travel of the fruit for cutting it into a plurality of parts as it is propelled through said member, `each of said pusher arms having` a slot enabling portions thereof to pass on opposite sides of said cutting means, said tubulary member .having `a portion of `an inner surface thereof adjacent said cutting means inclined to permit the `freepassage of said cutting meansthrough saidf` fruit.` i

10. In a machine for cutting fruit, the combination of atrough for guidingly receiving the fruit having a recess in its lower portion, a tubu-p lar member mounted on the trough having a 1on- `gitudinally extending slot-communicating with said recess, an endless chain guidingly disposed within the recess andrbelow the trough having pusher arms projecting upwardly into the trough for continuously propelling the fruit along the latter and through said tubular member, and aV stationary knife projecting into and "bisecting the discharge end of the tubular member for cutting the fruit longitudinally into two substansaid member,

.i 11. In a machine for cutting fruit, the combination of a conveyer device comprising a stationary member and a relatively movable `member `for advancing the fruit to be cut, rotatable tubular means extending parallel with and dismaterial fromthe fruit, a plurality of knives spaced from said tubular means and fixed with posed above thedevice for removing brous core tially equal parts as it is being propelled through o i being disposed at an angle to each other and extending into the path of travel of the fruit for dividing it into a plurality of segments, said con- Veyer device changing direction between said tubular means and knives by being inclined upwardly adjacent said tubular means and substantially horizontal adjacent said knives and lresiaect to said stationary member, said knives being adapted to advance said fruit in continuous motion as it is being cored and divided.

JAMES S. NICOLL.

ALFRED O. GILES. TAKESHI MARUOKA. BERNARD J. BUTLER. CHARLES M. COUNTRYMAN. 

